Lightweight Brake Disc With Metallurgical Bonding for Wear Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lightweight automobile brake discs face challenges in connecting the disc body and disc cap while meeting processing needs and working conditions, leading to high manufacturing costs and potential safety issues due to deformation and breakage of connecting elements.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight automotive brake disc design where the disc cap and disc body are metallurgically connected in a circumferential direction using aluminum-based materials with varying ceramic reinforcing phase content and alloy element composition, eliminating the need for a support structure and simplifying the preparation process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fitting gap with inserted connecting element is used to connect disc body and disc cap, then radial degree of freedom is generated to minimize thermal tension, but manufacturing cost increases and connecting element is easily deformed and broken
Solution Approach 1:
The disc body and disc cap are metallurgically connected through circumferential directional solidification, merging two separate components into a unified structure. This eliminates the need for separate connecting elements and fitting gaps, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining structural integrity under thermal loading.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical connection system (fitting gap with inserted connecting elements) is replaced by a metallurgical bonding system through controlled solidification. The directional solidification process creates a metal-to-metal bond that substitutes for mechanical fasteners, eliminating deformation and breakage issues while reducing assembly complexity.
2Strength
If disc body uses cast iron materials for good wear resistance, then wear resistance is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The brake disc employs local quality differentiation where the disc cap region uses aluminum alloy for lightweight properties while the friction surface region incorporates ceramic reinforcing phases for enhanced wear resistance. This spatial variation in material composition allows each region to optimize its properties for specific functional requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite materials consisting of aluminum alloy matrix with ceramic reinforcing phases (such as silicon carbide or aluminum oxide) distributed within. This composite structure combines the low density and high strength of aluminum alloys with the exceptional wear resistance of ceramic particles, achieving both lightweight and wear-resistant characteristics simultaneously.
3Strength
If support structure is added to increase contact area between friction surface and disc body, then connection strength is improved, but manufacturing cost and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is eliminated by merging the friction surface directly with the disc body through metallurgical bonding. The circumferential directional solidification process creates a continuous metal matrix that integrates the friction surface and disc body into a single monolithic structure, removing the need for separate support components while maintaining structural strength.
4Ease of manufacture
If inserted connecting element is used to connect disc body and disc cap, then assembly is simplified, but connecting element is easily deformed and broken affecting driving safety
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical connecting element system is replaced by a metallurgical bonding system achieved through circumferential directional solidification. The solidification process creates an intrinsic metal-to-metal bond that is inherently more reliable than mechanical fasteners, eliminating deformation and breakage risks while maintaining assembly simplicity through a single-cast process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution achieves a higher interface bonding strength between the disc cap and disc body, reduces manufacturing costs, and simplifies the preparation process while maintaining the structural strength and wear resistance required for brake discs.
Implementation Method 1
a circumferential direction of the brake disc is determined as a solidification direction of the aluminum-based materials; the aluminum-based materials are directionally solidified from the circumferential direction to obtain the brake disc
Data Source
AI summary
A lightweight automobile brake disc (10) and a preparation method therefor. A disc cap (110) of the lightweight automobile brake disc (10) is prepared from a first aluminum-based material with good processibility, and a disc body (120) is prepared from a second aluminum-based material with good wear resistance and heat resistance. By controlling the alloy element content of an aluminum alloy matrix in the first aluminum-based material to be smaller than or equal to the alloy element content of an aluminum alloy matrix in the second aluminum-based material, the sintering shrinking percentages of the two materials during a preparation process, in which a powder metallurgy method is used, are matched.